EU: The European Commission has warned Poland, the largest of the EU's 10 new member-states, that it is the least prepared to join the Union next May.
The Enlargement Commissioner, Mr Guenther Verheugen, insisted however that none of the problems faced by the 10 countries was insurmountable.
"This is the best prepared enlargement. It is a wrong perception to say Poland is not prepared," he said.
In its annual report on the candidate and accession countries, the Commission said that Poland's centre-left government had failed to take advantage of a recent economic upturn to cut public spending and put public finances in order. It said that Poland should move more swiftly to privatise state-owned industries and create an agency to channel direct payments from the EU to farmers, who will otherwise have to manage without the subsidies.
The report warned that many Polish food plants were unlikely to meet EU hygiene standards by next May and that animal movement controls and testing for such diseases as BSE were inadequate.
"Urgent progress is needed in public health, in the upgrading of agri-food establishments. There is a high probability that a significant number of agri-food establishments will not be in compliance with the relevant EU requirements at the date of accession," it said.
Poland, which has promised to close any food plants that do not reach EU hygiene standards next May, said it was aware of the problems identified in the report. Its European Affairs Minister, Ms Danuta Huebner, said her government would work hard to overcome the shortcomings.
"We have a programme of implementing what is required and we will implement it because this is in Poland's interest," she said.
Hungary and the Czech Republic, which received less serious criticism in the report, played down its significance.
The other countries due to join in May appear to be well prepared but Romania, which is due to join in 2007, was disappointed with the Commission's assessment.
The report said Romania was not yet a functioning market economy, one of the basic conditions for EU membership.
Romania's prime minister, Mr Adrian Nastase, insisted that membership in 2007 was still possible.
"We are aware of the need to continue economic reforms. The European Commission makes clear that the objective of joining the EU in 2007 is realistic," he said.
Bulgaria, which is also due to join the EU in 2007, received a better report but fears that its membership will be delayed if Romania does not make better progress.
The report praised Turkey's political and economic reforms, which could open the way for the start of accession negotiations at the end of next year. Mr Verheugen warned, however, that failure to resolve the occupation of northern Cyprus could delay Turkish entry. "The absence of a settlement could become a serious obstacle to Turkey's EU aspirations."
The Commission president, Mr Romano Prodi, said the report showed that the EU's biggest enlargement was about to become a reality. Noting that Croatia had made a request to join the EU, he said the Union would have more than 30 members in the future.
"Other countries in the region are intending to follow the Croatian example very soon and we have to be able to give an intelligent and far-sighted response . . . to make it clear that accession is within their sights," he said.